Revolver Magazine's "25 Essential Black Metal Albums" Article

I'm not referring to the quality of the riffs. I'm referring to the fact that Abbath can't play them cleanly. Admittedly Demonaz wasn't exactly a virtuoso on "Pure Holocaust" either but Abbath really struggles on "At the Heart of Winter". Perhaps you need to be a trained guitarist to notice it but it really taints the whole experience for me.

That dirty sound makes for a proper blackened experience to me.  Sometimes a little dirt goes a long way.  In fact, that WAS the album that introduced me to black metal, and I had a good experience with it because of that dirty sound.

Yeah, I've never noticed what Daniel's talking about with At the Heart of Winter too. It's one of those times that I'm happy to not be a musician so I can just enjoy something, totally oblivious to whether it's performed well or not.

Alright, let's move onto one I'm not massively knowledgeable about, although I might be just experienced enough to know the major influences. It's not exactly a subgenre filled with creativity and has remained relatively the same over the years, so I'm hoping this is pretty straightforward.

WAR METAL

Thankfully this subgenre has one very clear instigator, being Blasphemy from Canada. Their Fallen Angel of Doom.... album from 1990 is certainly the most influential release of this style. The big question is whether or not anything that has come after it has done enough with the blueprint or created enough of a stir to hit a most influential black metal release list.

Probably the only release I can come up with is Conqueror's War Cult Supremacy, which took things to an unprecedented level of destruction, undoubtedly encouraging others to pick up their instruments and try to obliterate the world with them.

Other possible bands are Beherit and Bestial Warlust, but I'm not sure if I could justify their inclusion in a list like this. I'm going with Blasphemy as a likely inclusion and Conqueror as a possible inclusion. Thoughts?

Blasphemy - Fallen Angel of Doom.... (1990)

Conqueror - War Cult Supremacy (1999)

Yeah, I've never noticed what Daniel's talking about with At the Heart of Winter too. It's one of those times that I'm happy to not be a musician so I can just enjoy something, totally oblivious to whether it's performed well or not.

At least Abbath knows that he's not a great player...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WKzrc2wcxA

Alright, let's move onto one I'm not massively knowledgeable about, although I might be just experienced enough to know the major influences. It's not exactly a subgenre filled with creativity and has remained relatively the same over the years, so I'm hoping this is pretty straightforward.

WAR METAL

Thankfully this subgenre has one very clear instigator, being Blasphemy from Canada. Their Fallen Angel of Doom.... album from 1990 is certainly the most influential release of this style. The big question is whether or not anything that has come after it has done enough with the blueprint or created enough of a stir to hit a most influential black metal release list.

Probably the only release I can come up with is Conqueror's War Cult Supremacy, which took things to an unprecedented level of destruction, undoubtedly encouraging others to pick up their instruments and try to obliterate the world with them.

Other possible bands are Beherit and Bestial Warlust, but I'm not sure if I could justify their inclusion in a list like this. I'm going with Blasphemy as a likely inclusion and Conqueror as a possible inclusion. Thoughts?

Blasphemy - Fallen Angel of Doom.... (1990)

Conqueror - War Cult Supremacy (1999)

No argument from me on a lone Blasphemy entry. 

Total argument from me.  I really disliked that album.  I love lo-fi when it's done right, but this wasn't "lo-fi," this was just "bad garage recording" that tried to confuse simple songwriting with tropes.  That Conqueror album is twice as good (meaning 3.0 vs. 6.0).  The way I see it, the albums should be both influential AND GOOD.  I'm completely on board if the Conquerer album makes it, but I'm gonna be saying that Blasphemy album is way overhyped until I die.

Whether or not the album is a great listen or not isn't really the point of this list. Blasphemy's debut album is objectively hugely influential to the subgenre, so I really have to include it.

Besides, a quick look at RYM suggests it's very much loved by war metal fans (albeit with far more ratings than Conqueror), so I don't feel the general consensus is that it's influential but not actually good.

**Hand up** I really like "Fallen Angel of Doom...." So sue me! Seriously though, you cannot talk war metal and not see the influence this had throughout the genre. FAoD is one of the easiest picks on the list.

War metal fans need taste...

War metal fans need taste...

Meaning what?

War metal fans need taste...

Meaning what?

That was half sarcasm, but there's also a reason I feel the album's overrated.  It seems to me that the only thing these people who love that album are focusing on is the level of brutality.  It's like songwriting, recording quality and musicianship don't exist.  I mean, I love brutality as well, but no matter exactly how different one music forumer or critic might judge things from another person, good judgement should look at things from even more angles.

War metal fans need taste...

Meaning what?

That was half sarcasm, but there's also a reason I feel the album's overrated.  It seems to me that the only thing these people who love that album are focusing on is the level of brutality.  It's like songwriting, recording quality and musicianship don't exist.  I mean, I love brutality as well, but no matter exactly how different one music forumer or critic might judge things from another person, good judgement should look at things from even more angles.

The simple fact is, I enjoy that album and the effect it has upon me. I don't have to justify that to anyone and throwing insults around because you disagree is disrespectful to the opinions of others. All this does is reminds me why I tend to avoid internet forums, so fuck it, I don't need your bad vibes, so I'll keep my opinions to myself.

War metal fans need taste...

Meaning what?

That was half sarcasm, but there's also a reason I feel the album's overrated.  It seems to me that the only thing these people who love that album are focusing on is the level of brutality.  It's like songwriting, recording quality and musicianship don't exist.  I mean, I love brutality as well, but no matter exactly how different one music forumer or critic might judge things from another person, good judgement should look at things from even more angles.

The simple fact is, I enjoy that album and the effect it has upon me. I don't have to justify that to anyone and throwing insults around because you disagree is disrespectful to the opinions of others. All this does is reminds me why I tend to avoid internet forums, so fuck it, I don't need your bad vibes, so I'll keep my opinions to myself.

Dude.  The first post was a sarcastic remark, and the second was simply my beliefs on critiquing and judgement.  People are going to disagree about albums, and I don't scold anyone when they say "people who like Metallica are total posers."  And that happens on Metal for the Masses all the time and I'm still there.

Besides, I am also aware of the difference between "enjoying" something and admitting something is technically good or bad.  Good Burger and Kung Pow are two of my favorite movies for how hilarious they are, but I'm not going to act like I don't think the writing and direction are as good as other comedies I don't often watch like The Truman Show or Nice Guys.  I'm not going to act like people shouldn't discuss awareness of quality.  This is something people should be aware of, and because it's still opinionated in the end, it is NOT objectivity vs. subjectivity as it still requires belief.

Nothing I said had anything to do with offending you.  I might be autistic, but I have the mental capacity to realize when I reasonably offend someone and when someone misconstrues something I said.  If Bieber is influential and no one online likes him, then anyone is justified for not liking Blasphemy, or even my favorite metal band Metallica for that matter.

Metal Academy is not a site where we want the "people who like Metallica are total posers" style comments. You're correct that everyone should feel free to not like things as passionately as they want, but there's simply no need to be offensive to others.

Metal Academy is not a site where we want the "people who like Metallica are total posers" style comments. You're correct that everyone should feel free to not like things as passionately as they want, but there's simply no need to be offensive to others.

I never said this site was the place where that happens.  I said that was a different place called "Metal for the Masses."  I detailed the difference between enjoyment and analysis, and I fail to see how this is offensive.  I repeat: the original comment was simply a piece of sarcasm, nothing more.  And I really don't see how I should be scolded for detailing my opinions on why (not how) things should be analyzed further.

Also, I just realized an important typo that I missed when I was editing a sentence, so please reread the first paragraph again.  Apologies for that part, at least.

::  People are going to disagree about albums, and I don't scold anyone when they say "people who like Metallica are total posers." ::

You, of course, can say whatever you want, Rex, I just want no part of it anymore, as is my right. I'm not "scolding" anyone - get on with it, good luck, I'm gone!

OK, but just clarifying...

You, of course, can say whatever you want, Rex, I just want no part of it anymore, as is my right. I'm not "scolding" anyone - get on with it, good luck, I'm gone!

Just making sure the former isn't scolding, in case things get misconstrued again.

To the rest of the website, this is Metal Academy.  The whole point of this website is to discuss the albums and potentially the way we rate them as a result, and that is exactly the purpose of my more serious reply.  I'm more than willing to discuss the way people rate and review albums, including the Blasphemy one, and I never once said my way is the only way.  However, I do not and never have believed in simply listening to one aspect and sticking with it since I started listening to albums on a regular basis, and that was nearly 12 years ago.  Those days are gone.  So while I can't and will never try to force my "four question method" on other people, I will suggest looking at multiple angles.

Everyone of us has a personal craft to it, and I firmly believe that if we let the talent go to waste it's a problem.  So if Sonny sees something that I don't, I should think that the rules as well as myself should encourage it.  If he has a problem, he should be willing to discuss it instead of claiming that he won't voice his opinions again.  If he sees multiple angles of its "greatness," let him explain it, please and thank you.  He's on a music website, and if someone made a statement about opinion that I didn't agree with, I would explain my case and see if I can convince the other party otherwise.  Sure, a long paragraph or two can be seen as "wanting to hear myself talk," but once again, I'm exploring multiple angles.  So if I come across like Mojo Jojo, it's because I'm proving points.

I am more than willing to discuss it with him, but I won't accept responsibility for someone getting hurt about a simple disagreement or a sarcastic remark in a metal community of all things.  I tried that route years ago when I was first starting on forums and album reviewing, and it contributed to many fights.  I was told not to let my emotions get the best of me in these instances, and I was also told that a little bit of sarcasm is alright, and I've held true to these for years.

So to end this, I will accept none of the responsibility for another user leaving this thread.  I ask Sonny to write a review of the album for me to read.

Rex, as an unbiased third party, I can tell you that you came across as telling people that enjoy "Fallen Angel of Doom....." that they are wrong to do so. Even that statement about your "four question method" is insinuating that Blasphemy fans' rating methodologies are shallow & inferior to your own. You seem to be saying that if I rate this record much more highly than you do then I'm only looking at one element of the music which simply isn't the case. Saying things like "I don't enjoy the album because...." or "I don't understand the appeal & feel that it's overrated" are fine. Saying things that insinuate that your taste is superior to others (whether directly or indirectly) is not & that's what I took away from some of your above comments. I'm aware that this wasn't intentional but that's how it was perceived. No more attempts to justify your position please. Let's learn from it & move on now thanks. 

I'm getting tired of this idea where I have to watch what I say around people but they don't have to watch what they say around me.  They've been saying it for 30 years, my whole life, usually because Im autistic, and I'm done.

I distinctly say "it seems to me," meaning I could be wrong, and I distinctly expected Sonny to explain his opinion rather than run away.  I gave everyone here, including Sonny, the benefit of a doubt by believing we all thought about the albums we review, and I'm still willing to talk about it with him.  My posts will be READ PROPERLY.

OK, let's move forward with this project. It's time to focus on another subgenre of black metal that I'm by no means an expert on. I think I've heard most of the "big" stuff though, so I'll have a crack at it.

BLACKGAZE

I think it's safe to say that Alcest is the major player here. It's a question of which album. I think it's safe to say that their debut, Souvenirs d'un autre monde, was the one that kicked things off, but then there's the question of whether it's actually metal or not. I personally feel like it should be considered blackgaze. If it had the typical screamed vocals of other Alcest releases, I don't think there would even be a question about it, but maybe I'm wrong? Anyone got an opinion? If that album isn't blackgaze, then the follow-up, Écailles de lune, most certainly is.

There's no way that Deafheaven can't be on the list too, with Sunbather being one of the most popular metal albums in history (I still can't believe it has over 24,500 ratings on RYM, which is more than Filosofem!). I'm not sure there are any other releases than demand a spot on this list or even come into the conversation, but as always, please let me know if you feel I'm missing something.

Alcest - Souvenirs d'un autre monde (2007) / Écailles de lune (2010)

Deafheaven - Sunbather (2013)